1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of fossil fuel burners and combustion in power generation furnaces and boilers, and in particular to a new and useful coal spreader configuration for a furnace or boiler burner.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
A well-known coal spreader for boiler burners is made by a company called RILEY. Coal spreaders produced by this company have swirl vanes mounted to an axial shaft in a burner throat. The shaft or support rod end carrying the vanes is positioned adjacent the boiler furnace opening. The end of the support rod of the known coal spreader has a plate welded to the support rod.
The welded plate connection may fail in the high temperature environment of a furnace burner. Any such failure is attributable in part to the fact that the hottest part of the furnace is adjacent the tip of the coal spreader.
The materials used in prior coal spreaders also contribute to materials failure from erosion damage among other things.